The Kiltartan History Book eBook

going at that time. And it was but at the time
of the Parliament leaving College Green they began
to wear the Soutane that they wear now. Up to
that it was a bodycoat they wore and knee-breeches.
It was their vote sent the Parliament to England,
and when there is a row between them or that the people
are vexed with the priest, you will hear them saying
in the house in Irish ‘Bad luck on them, it
was they brought misfortune to Ireland.’
They wore the Soutane ever since that time.”

ROBERT EMMET

“The Government had people bribed to swear against
Robert Emmet, and the same men said after, they never
saw him till he was in the dock. He might have
got away but for his attention to that woman.
She went away after with a sea captain. There
are some say she gave information. Curran’s
daughter she was. But I don’t know.
He made one request, his letters that she wrote to
him in the gaol not to be meddled with, but the Government
opened them and took the presents she sent in them,
and whatever was best of them they kept for themselves.
He made the greatest speech from the dock ever was
made, and Lord Norbury on the bench, checking and
clogging him all the time. Ten hours he was in
the dock, and they gave him no more than one dish
of water all that time; and they executed him in a
hurry, saying it was an attack they feared on the
prison. There is no one knows where is his grave.”

O’CONNELL’S BIRTH

“O’Connell was a grand man, and whatever
cause he took in hand, it was as good as won.
But what wonder? He was the gift of God.
His father was a rich man, and one day he was out
walking he took notice of a house that was being built.
Well, a week later he passed by the same place, and
he saw the walls of the house were no higher than before.
So he asked the reason, and he was told it was a priest
that was building it, and he hadn’t the money
to go on with. So a few days after he went to
the priest’s house and he asked was that true,
and the priest said it was. ’Would you
pay back the money to the man that would lend it to
you?’ says O’Connell. ‘I would,’
says the priest. So with that O’Connell
gave him the money that was wanting—­L50—­for
it was a very grand house. Well, after some time
the priest came to O’Connell’s house, and
he found only the wife at home, so says he, ’I
have some money that himself lent me.’
But he had never told the wife of what he had done,
so she knew nothing about it, and says she, ’Don’t
be troubling yourself about it, he’ll bestow
it on you.’ ‘Well,’ says the
priest, I’ll go away now and I’ll come
back again.’ So when O’Connell came,
the wife told him all that had happened, and how a
priest had come saying he owed him money, and how
she had said he would bestow it on him. ‘Well,’
says O’Connell, ‘if you said I would bestow
it, I will bestow it.’ And so he did.
Then the priest said, ‘Have you any children?’
‘Ne’er a child,’ said O’Connell.
‘Well you will have one,’ said he.
And that day nine months their young son was born.
So what wonder if he was inspired, being, as he was,
the Gift of God.”